Genius Negotiates Life Plans
by NNNNsic
Summary: Grissom is smarter than we think. He also really loves her. GSR


Disclaimer: I don't own CSI.

Summary: Grissom is smarter than we think. He also really loves her. GSR

A/N: I hope you don't get to the end of this and go, "huh?" If you do, I completely understand. Sometimes my mind doesn't work like the other kids. Thank you so much to the wonderful person who read over this.

"Do you want to have children?"

Sara barely stopped herself from choking, sitting across from Grissom in a booth at the diner that was nine blocks from his townhouse. They had walked there together after work. It was a nice relaxing morning, like many others they had shared before. And then suddenly there was this question from nowhere that had her fumbling for a response.

"With you?" she blurted. Grissom gave her an incredulous frown, and Sara began to panic. "I mean…uh…"

Finished eating, he fooled with his fork while she wiped her mouth with a napkin and studied her remaining food. The moment went from zero to awkward in nothing flat, both minds silently buzzing. Surely she must have misunderstood him. Exasperated, she finally cocked her head and squinted at him, stunned and bewildered. "_What_?"

"I didn't mean to…never mind."

She nodded vaguely and took a last sip of coffee, replaying the conversation in her head. His initial question still made no sense. "_What_?" she asked again, but it came out accusatorily.

Grissom pouted and sighed and wished the waitress would bring him his change. "Sara…"

"I'm sorry," she interrupted, unsure what she was apologizing for. She found herself suddenly doubting the entire foundation of their relationship. It was never that steady a foundation to begin with in her mind, but… _children_?

"Let's get out of here," he muttered, embarrassed, irritated and frustrated beyond measure. The waitress could have her twelve dollar tip, he decided. He'd clearly fouled up an attempt at meaningful, emotionally communicative conversation.

They held hands as they walked, the intimacy feeling normal despite the disastrous exchange at the diner. It was several blocks later when Sara finally said, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

She pushed the crosswalk button and they waited, looking anywhere but at each other. After crossing the street she cautiously began again, "So, what brought that up, anyway? Having kids?"

Grissom cringed, wanting nothing more than to retreat into himself—go home, read a book, listen to classical music. Those days were distant memories to him now, and he knew better than to think he could suddenly behave like that.

No, he knew he had to follow through. He turned and studied her profile as they walked and soon found himself smiling at her, offering a shrug. "Sometimes, Sara, on random occasions, it occurs to me that you're still quite young."

Sara's eyebrows moved around a bit, and a smirk threatened to form, but alas, she ended up frowning in thought. It slipped her mind to respond.

"Forget I mentioned it," he grumbled. "I assure you it wasn't a serious—"

Sara shook her head and tugged on his hand a little. "No, I—" She shrugged herself and let out a long breath. This wasn't what they did. They didn't _talk_ about things, and it felt terribly weird. "I don't know. I guess that's why I haven't answered you. I don't honestly know if I want children."

She brushed against him as they walked and waited for him to look at her.

"Okay," he said when he finally met her gaze. That was enough of a reply, he reasoned. Honesty he could accept.

"Do you?" she countered a moment later, sounding uncharacteristically shy.

"Do I what?"

Sara rolled her eyes. "Want children?"

Now that was a difficult question. Grissom sucked in some air and slowed her down by keeping his own pace leisurely. "I don't know. It wasn't until just recently that I realized my girlfriend's still very young," he admitted with a straight face, which made her blush and chuckle.

"I'm just saying what I once considered to be highly improbable now seems… possible." He shifted his fingers between hers, and they walked on in silence for another block or so.

Sara was deep in thought, evaluating her childhood, her life, her career, her relationship and her future. Deep, deep in thought. Out of the blue, she blurted, "I don't think I do. Want kids…" She tried to gauge his reaction, and then decided it best to just avoid his eyes.

Then the babbling began in earnest. "I don't know. It's not like I'm vehemently against the idea, I just don't think it's something I can easily fit into my—well, not that it would be a sole undertaking, but…well, not that we're…I'm not making any sense, am I?" She continued before he could agree with her. "Sometimes I do feel a pang of longing when I see some adorable little ragamuffin, but I just don't think that amounts to…" She paused and squeezed his hand. "My life is really satisfying right now. I don't know. I mean, I—" She stopped when she noticed he was grinning at her.

"I would love to have a baby with you," he said with a sincerity that surprised both of them. If nothing else, Sara disciplining a naughty toddler would prove extremely entertaining.

She pursed her lips into a charming pout and bumped his shoulder with her own. A _baby_. What a huge undertaking. And with someone like Grissom? It bordered on the bizarre. Yet, she had to admit there was something so pleasantly appealing about the ordinariness of it all. Of being a regular old—wait a minute—hadn't they skipped a step somewhere?

"I hate to suddenly go traditionalist on you, but… shouldn't we get married first? Before we talk about—"

Grissom stopped dead in his tracks and yanked on her hand, causing her to stumble forward. "What?" she gasped, concerned.

"Would you marry me?" he asked, not meant as a proposal at all, but more as a desperate clarification, complete with wide, hopeful eyes and a dopey half grin.

"Wha..?" Confused, Sara stared at him. "Are you _asking_ me?"

"Well, this is not the way I planned on doing it," he complained, shaking his head.

Sara smiled and a soft laugh escaped her. "You've made a plan?"

He raised one eyebrow and slipped his arm around her back, pulling her to him. "No, but I'll formulate one immediately if you're suggesting you'd say yes."

She hugged him back, right there on the sidewalk, and wondered when exactly she got over her aversion to marriage. She had no idea. It didn't matter, though. She was over it, for sure. "Of course I'd marry you," she whispered in his ear, and her emotions overcame her.

He had both arms around her and lifted her a few inches off the ground. "I didn't ask you yet! You're always so aggressive in this relationship, and frankly, I'm getting tired of it."

Sara squeezed his neck and giggled, closing her eyes, relishing his light mood and teasing. He was kissing her cheek, over and over on his way to her lips, happy kisses through a relieved smile, and she knew she'd never forget the moment as long as she lived.

It was the next day, when Sara was in their bed wearing a smile and an emerald-cut diamond ring, when he started talking. In a rare sharing moment, he began telling her about his mother and what a good businesswoman she was. Sara listened intently to his story, unsure where exactly he was going.

"She taught me an important lesson in negotiating," he explained. "See, when you're pretty sure the other party won't agree to give you what you want, you should start out asking for something they definitely won't want to give you. Ask for the moon; let them reject it. Then when you suggest whatever it was you wanted in the first place—the only thing you really wanted—they're more likely to…give it to you."

He toyed with her engagement ring until her eyes met his, and then he gave her an impish little grin. Her mouth dropped and she simultaneously gasped while smacking his shoulder. "I knew that crap about having kids made no sense!"

"I'm sorry," he laughed, sliding his arms around her. Sara hummed into his kiss and knew full well he wasn't really sorry at all.

THE END.


End file.
